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Jun032014

(Washington, D.C.) Today, Monday, June 2nd, 2014, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement as the Environmental Protection Agency released a proposal to mandate power plants cut carbon-dioxide emissions 30 percent by 2030 as part of President Obama’s Climate Change Action Plan.

“I applaud President Obama and his administration for moving forward with a common-sense, flexible proposal to limit dangerous carbon pollution and fight back against the growing threat of climate change. Industrial carbon pollution poses serious health risks for our families, pollutes our water and air, and it is wrong that power plants across the country can release as much of this pollution into the air as they want.

“These common-sense safeguards to limit dangerous carbon pollution from power plants will help turn the tide on climate change, which is an environmental challenge that we owe to our children and grandchildren to address responsibly. Climate change is already raising food prices, harming the health and safety of children and families in communities across the country, and stressing our nation’s energy security. As Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, I am also particularly focused on the increasing evidence that links climate change to our nation’s long-term fiscal challenges. For these reasons and more, I believe that making polluters clean up the power plants that are making dangerous climate change worse is simply the right thing to do.

“My home state of Washington is a leader in cutting its share of harmful carbon pollution, and I am pleased the President’s proposal recognizes Washington state’s leadership and allows us to build on that progress.”